This study seeks to develop, implement, and assess an innovative 15-session couple-based intervention to be delivered in a group format to young parents that aims to strengthen relationships and reduce HIV risk. The ultimate goal of our intervention is to reduce HIV/STD risk (concurrency, number of partners, unprotected sex), strengthen relationships, and improve parenting among young parenting heterosexual couples.

For the active control group we will use Nurturing Parenting Groups currently being run by the community collaborator.

Behavioral: Parenting Program Intervention

Nurturing Parenting curriculum delivered in a group format.

Other Name: Nurturing Parenting

Experimental: Relationship Strengthening HIV Prevent.

The relationship strengthening HIV intervention will build on the structure of the Nurturing Parenting Groups and will be integrated so that participants will receive the Nurturing Parenting Groups plus the relationship strengthening HIV intervention.

Behavioral: Relationship Strengthening HIV Prevention Intervention

The relationship strengthening HIV intervention will build on the structure of the Nurturing Parenting Groups and will be integrated so that participants will receive the Nurturing Parenting Groups plus the relationship strengthening HIV intervention.

Other Name: Partners in Life

Detailed Description:

This study develops a couple-based HIV prevention intervention that is innovative and important because it integrates an intervention that improves sexual health, relationship functioning, and parenting skills. Our intervention will be integrated with an existing community based parenting program. By targeting high risk heterosexual couples experiencing an important life transition that increases their stress, conflict, and sexual risk, the investigators can provide maximum benefit to the men, women, and children in our communities. Using the guiding framework of Attachment Theory and the principles of Emotion Focused Therapy, the investigators will directly address issues of emotion, intimacy,and relationship functioning to create an intervention that strengthens romantic relationships and reduces HIV risk behavior. The investigators will conduct a small pilot randomized controlled trial of 50 parenting couples randomized to either the relationship strengthening HIV prevention intervention or an active control. The intervention will last 15 weeks and each session will be approximately 1.5 hours long. The investigators will assess couples at baseline, 4-months, and 8-months.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

14 Years and older (Child, Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Women's age between 14 and 25

Men's age 14 or older

Have a child that is 0-1 year old

In a romantic relationship with the mother/father of the baby

Not known to be HIV positive

English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

Child older than 1 year

HIV positive

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01643005